I came across the image below on Twitter and it resonated with me from a leadership perspective. Leaders need to be accountable but too often it is about to who rather than simply being accountable through all of one’s actions. There is a doing part of accountability but in true accountable leadership it is far more about being.

Here’s my take on each of the nine traits:

1. Transparency
   • I am who I am! Leaders who put up a façade are generally trying to hide faults. While great leaders may do exceptional things, they are still human. The transparent leader is clear in her communications but also vulnerable in her being. Leaders may have to develop a tough skin, but they cannot lose their compassionate heart and transparency ensures the mirror is accurate when it comes to the reflection.
2. Improvement
   • Great leaders are always on a continuous improvement journey. They act like professionals, knowing that getting better is just simply what is required. Maintaining the status quo is falling behind and no leader has ever been hired to maintain the status quo. Improvement comes not in self isolation but rather in seeking honest feedback from others and then in a willingness to go beyond your own comfort zone.
3. Relatedness
   • This is closely linked to transparency. I may work in the corporate office and be the “boss” but am I relatable as a person? Can I connect with my employees? Do we share common values, interests, experiences, etc? If employees can’t relate to the leader or visa versa, then the leader is simply a figurehead and little connection will ever be made.
4. Ownership
   • Praise in public, discipline in private. Shield your employees and be the firewall when things don’t go well. That doesn’t mean accept incompetent behaviour or action but protect when you need to protect. Stand tall and own it! You expect loyalty from your employees, they deserve your loyalty as well.
5. Resilience
   • Bad things do happen to good people, but great leaders respond and adapt. It requires a tremendous amount of self-care to be able to look at other possibilities and not get stuck in defeat. Resilient leaders bounce back because they are confident not only in themselves but in those who surround them. They don’t get lost in the small details (but they do know them) but always see the bigger picture.
6. Experimentation
   • Until failure becomes a permanent condition, it is just a part of the learning journey. Greatness never comes from doing the same thing over and over. Tweaks and pivots are always required to moving forward to the preferred future. Experimentation is not “Ready! Aim! Fire!” but rather “Ready! Fire! Aim!” Course corrections, building the plane in the air are examples of experimentation.
7. Integrity
   • It may be number seven here, but it is number one in leadership. Simply put, no integrity, no leadership! Enough said!
8. Commitment
   • Linked to resilience. You can’t succeed with “half-assed” commitment, and it is hard work! Commitment starts with the heart, moves to the head and then to the hands. It means being clear on your priorities and then executing on them…and them means 2-3 at the most. You can’t be committed to multiple priorities. Commit to only a few!
9. Courage
   • Leaders make tough decisions and have hard conversations all the time. The best, do this through strong relations and high levels of trust. It is not an absence of fear but a willingness to do difficult tasks within fear. Courage allows us to go beyond, to forge a path when there is none and to lead in a world that is neither black or white. Courageous leaders live in the grey without losing sight of the vision and mission of the organization.

If leadership was so easy, we’d have many more leaders in the world. Great leaders don’t just have 3 or 4 of the above accountability traits, they have all of them. It is just not that easy to be an accountable leader but focusing on these nine traits will move you closer to where you need to be in your organization.

One of my most interesting consulting roles that I’ve fallen into after retiring from the superintendent position has been working with local school boards. My initial work has been board orientations, focusing much of the time on defining their “why” and providing a deep understanding of their role and that of the superintendent. Later this spring, I’ll be engaged in the processes of board and superintendent evaluations.

In my review of the role of boards, every board has development as part of their work. But what does that look like? My career in central office working directly with boards spanned over 19 years. I can honestly say that seldom did I worry about board development other than when an election was held, and a new board was formed. That in itself, was a little self-serving, as I really wanted board members, especially new board members to know the difference between their role and mine. Plus, in most cases, board development became a responsibility of the superintendent under that famous contractual phrase, “and other duties as assigned.” While superintendents should have the opportunity to co-learn with their boards, it should not be part of their work. The superintendent is the “sole employee” of the board and as such, can be placed in an awkward position leading the learning of the board. Remember, the role descriptor is board development not board/superintendent development. Superintendents already have a massive commitment to their own learning and that of leading their overall learning community.

There was a time in education when professional learning happened at an event. While those events could be powerful, we now know that once or twice a year sessions are insufficient to impact ongoing improvement. Boards who believe that their involvement in bi-annual meetings (of which some PD is offered) is sufficient to place a check mark beside their board development role do not fully understand their responsibility. There is an expectation that educators be lifelong learners and engage in continuous improvement yet, many boards settle for simple attendance at annual meetings as evidence of board development. Tone at the top is important and so boards should never expect their employees to engage in ongoing professional learning if they are not prepared to engage in the same themselves.

Board development is vastly different from individual trustee development. Trustees should always be on a learning journey, but it is the corporate board that does the work and therefore that development must be prioritized. I’ve been pleased to witness many boards engage in book studies but dismayed that most were facilitated by the superintendent. Again, the co-learning opportunity is essential, but it needs to be directed by the board or an outside consultant.

One of the easiest first steps I’ve found to get development front and center on a monthly basis, is to have board members review their own meetings. Successful boards understand their role better than anything else and it can be relatively easy to see if the board is operating in their correct lane by their meetings. Some sample questions to lead the reflection and discussion might be:

• Reviewing the agenda of the board meeting, when did you act in the following modes:
  • Fiduciary (Oversight)
  • Strategic (Foresight)
  • Generative (Insight)
  • Innovative (Continuous Improvement)
• What policies did you review?
• If you made any changes to a policy, how did it better support the role of the board?
• What are some board actions or conversations that focused on the board’s priorities?
• What evidence would you use to support your board meeting was successful?
• What might you change to improve the work of the board at the next board meeting?

These are just a sample of questions that have the intent of generating dialogue on the work of the board during meetings to ultimately lead to further development. Just as educators are called to be reflective of their practice to initiate improvement, so must boards. Board development is not a sprint but a marathon. It must be intentional and ongoing! If the general public is to see the value in school boards and the work being done, then it is critical that boards commit to getting better and engage in ongoing development.  

Early in my senior education career, I remember then Deputy Minister Maria David-Evans, speaking about how Alberta was a world class education system. One of her key points was the importance of a strong centralized curriculum. While not always perfect, no curriculum is, Alberta has always been recognized as having a strong curriculum that jurisdictions around the world have sought to emulate or simply use when possible.

Late last year, the government of NWT made the decision to not continue to use Alberta curriculum. Instead, students in NWT will follow BC curriculum beginning in September 2022. After years of a successful partnership with Alberta curriculum, the question of why the change by the NWT government should be fairly evident. What is coming to students in Alberta beginning this September is simply unacceptable.

One of the reasons that Alberta’s curriculum has been so world renowned was due to the process of development. Broad based, forward thinking, and age appropriate were all pillars in the development of new curriculum. But always, current and practicing teachers were well engaged in the process. While it is essential to have senior administration, curriculum specialists, post-secondary, parent, business and community input, a strong centralized curriculum will never be as good as it should be without teacher input right from the initial stages of development. I cannot imagine any new developments in any other profession being contemplated without those same professionals being involved from the very beginning.

This government has shut out the very professionals who will be implementing this new curriculum from the start. They have made this new curriculum more political than any previous government and have made the arrogant assumption that they know more about curriculum development than the classroom teacher. It takes a massive collaborative team to design robust and relevant curriculum and this government has done so without key members of the team, namely teachers.

Alberta, as a world class education system is in jeopardy if this new curriculum goes forward. It is just that plain and simple!

I am really disappointed with the arrogance and ignorance of this government to assume that they know better than teachers when it comes to developing new curriculum. We have had a process that for years included practicing teachers that has produced high quality learning outcomes and maintained our educational excellence. Without a course correction before September, we will be implementing an ill-advised, non-child friendly curriculum that will take us back 50 years!

The future problems we will face will not be solved by students subjected to this soon to be implemented, outdated and irrelevant curriculum! OUR STUDENTS DESERVE BETTER!

Get teachers back into the process and watch the magic!!!

Most of my blog posts have typically focused on leadership however, with this pandemic and especially lately, I have tried to write about the impact of the pandemic on teachers. While many still believe in the myth of the 9-3 teacher, teaching has never been easy, and it is even more difficult and complex today!

Today I want to focus on system leaders and the additional stress that this pandemic has placed on those in charge or in support of entire school divisions. During the last couple of weeks, I have had the good fortune of connecting with many of my former colleagues and to say that they are leading in unprecedented times would be an understatement.

When I retired in January 2020, I had the good fortune of having worked with boards who appreciated and valued my leadership. Over an 11-year tenure as superintendent, I was able to gather a team of some of the greatest central office leaders to support the mission of the division. Equally or even more important was the stellar leaders who led our schools and teachers and support staff who made the magic happen in the classrooms. The last advantage I had as a long-standing superintendent was a strong connection with our parents and communities. They knew me and they trusted me in always desiring to do what was best for students.

I would be insulting to my readers if I said that my tenure was not difficult at times as there were trials and tribulations along the way. But those blips were usually minor or at the very least not long lasting. While always trying to give others credit for a job well done, I always felt affirmed in the position and a great satisfaction for the job. I question whether I would have those same sentiments if I were still in the position during this pandemic world.

COVID has created a very divided country and those divisions live in our school systems too! System leaders are walking through a minefield trying to support ALL and give voice to MANY! They are being pulled in every direction possible and any decision being made is always wrong to someone and usually that someone is voicing his displeasure loudly and often inappropriately.

Leading a system is a very tough in the best of scenarios but now, it requires almost superpowers. Dealing with staff and student absenteeism to ensure learning continues even though it is like having a never-ending penalty and constantly playing shorthanded is just one of the new challenges facing leaders. The decision to remain in school or move to at home learning does not just happen without some sort of thought. Closing one program to prop up another, keeping board members very aware of new nuances and of course working with a government who has demonstrated the absolute best of poor leadership.

People are frustrated as we approach our second-year anniversary of living with COVID in Alberta. We have lost vulnerable lives and closed the doors on businesses. People have been negatively impacted on a mental health spectrum not ever seen before. Family and other social interactions have been curbed to stop the spread and so many more issues have arisen due to this pandemic. Not to say that this is the first pandemic that people have the choice to be vaccinated or not.

The greatest leaders bring people together. They build cohesive teams, and they move toward the preferred future. That is significant work in itself but place the DIVIDE mentality of COVID into the mix and you begin to see the need for superpowers. I applaud system leaders of today and would suggest more should do so as they are leading through an educational crisis better than any others would be able to do.

I have said this before, but it is so applicable right now, “Its easy to criticize from the cheap seats when you don’t have any skin in the game.” The role of the superintendent, director or system leader is complex, and few can do it. So, before you begin to criticize your system leaders, I would suggest you get your head out of your @ss because you don’t know what you don’t know!

I try and stay socially connected to the education world through my Twitter account and what I’ve been seeing is pretty disheartening. Educators are feeling exhausted, disrespected, frustrated and little angry too! I know that most social media platforms allow a person to “sound off” without much care on the impact of their words…but what I am reading is from people I know, solid educators who I would have my grandchildren in their classrooms in a heartbeat. Some without a real understanding of what it is like be in education may want to assume that this is the perspective from the “union!” No! These are highly competent and compassionate professionals who care about what they do and the students they serve. So where does that leave us and what do we do?

While I was a superintendent, I always addressed our first-year teachers and reminded them to keep their priorities in the right order. It was a consistent message to all staff. Everybody has different priorities at different times but in communicating my list for them, the job was always last. It did not mean that I had low expectations for their work, in fact I expected a remarkably high standard. I believed however, in Covey’s famous principle, “Put first things first!”

“You can’t give what you don’t have.” Educators have lives beyond the school and classrooms and we want to think that those lives are not messy. But they are! We have educators just like the rest of society that have health problems and relationship problems and family problems and…the list goes on and on. Yet, while we may acknowledge that this is true, we expect these highly trained professionals to just leave it at home and do their job with excellence. Most do but in this demanding pandemic world, some are not, and others are on the very edge.

So, I return to the title of this blog, “Being selfish” which is a foreign concept to these compassionate educators. Putting first things first begins with the individual. It is about finding some solid rock in your life before you reach out to others. It is not about being selfish for more things but being selfish to be able to give more. There is a significant difference between the two. Taking care of yourself so that you can take care of others is not a new or novel idea. But it starts with looking honestly at your own life and figuring out what you truly need to be better and that takes you to be a little selfish.

Business folks caring only about the bottom line believe my way of thinking is ludicrous and sense that employees will just take advantage. No matter what profession or line of work you are in, there will be those who take advantage of your request for them to be selfish. However, most employees will see the care you have for them and will always give you more. If you have more people taking advantage, then maybe you should not be their leader.

I would never suggest that organizations have an opt out clause to promote positive mental health in their employees, but individuals must make some changes in their own lives too. Do not be afraid of being selfish to enhance your own mental health and your overall wellbeing. Remember, what helps you, benefits the students in your school!

Depending on where you are in North America, educators are either preparing for students to return to in school learning or preparing to offer online education in the coming days. Regardless of the decision made by governments, a high degree of stress is present. This newest variant, which is by far the most transmissible, is putting significant strain on not only our health systems but our education system too!

From an education perspective, teachers and leaders are facing their own health concerns and that of their students. “Will I be safe going back into the classroom?” is a fair question, as is, “What supports will there be for my students and I regardless of being in school or at home?” The only thing we know for sure is that we continue to be living in an ever-changing world and unknown future.

With that in mind, I would like teachers and leaders to be mindful of the statement below as we all continue to experience this pandemic: Don’t try and be perfect. Just do your best.

Late last year I presented on the fact of not living in this new normal but rather creating a better normal. A better normal does not mean nor should it ever mean being perfect. Educators, like all of us just need to do their best and that will be highly varied depending on their own situation. My best might be barely struggling to pull myself out of bed or it might be walking into my classroom with more vim and vigor than ever before.

Acknowledging where we are, right now is our best, and that needs to be the starting point for everyone. Once we start with our best, we can start on getting better.

Here is the myth about getting better that most of us believe inherently: Getting better is instantaneous. Believing that causes frustration because we tend to evaluate our process on the ultimate goal rather than the small steps getting there. Getting better is a journey with many slips and falls, ups and downs. And leaders, especially need to understand that getting better requires support. There needs to be an acceptance that this is extremely challenging work (it was even before the pandemic) and supportive coaching, empathy and simple care are necessary.

Regardless of where you are on your “best” meter, accept it as your starting point and begin to move from there. Do not allow others to tell you where you should be! You are where you are period! We take students from where they are and not where we think they should be. Why shouldn’t that lesson translate to us as educators?

Your best is where you are right now! Your better comes in your time and with the supports you need. Be okay with your best and welcome your chance to get better!

It is almost two years to the day that I retired from the role of Superintendent of Schools. That means, that I retired pre-pandemic. There was certainly a time when education was easier, but I cannot imagine a time when education was more difficult than during these past two years. It does not matter where you sit in the educational world, these last two years (and likely beyond) have been the most demanding on record.

Teachers and leaders are doing their very best, but they are living on the edge. The unpredictability caused by the pandemic and the realization that this is the new normal is not very comforting. Often the public is forgetful that educators have lives beyond the school. So when we talk about closures or child care or online schooling or… the impact is felt on multiple levels by the educator. Add in the fact, that we have students in classrooms who for almost two years have not had what we would say a typical school year. Teachers are trained in pedagogy and although it is often magic what they do with students from such diverse environments, they are not magicians.

Governments across this country are trying to make decisions to balance the need for students to be in school with a required plan to stop the spread of this latest variant. Any decision will be an impact on family life, economics and of course the education world. While some governments may be better with their plans, the unfortunate part of this issue is that there are no right answers for everything and everyone. And sadly, there will never be enough money to “fix the problem!” In my almost 35 year career not once did I ever say, “We have enough money in education!” We never have and we never will!!!

That does not mean that governments should wash their hands of the funding issue. There are resources that should be allocated to school divisions immediately that would support the education system. But what I would like to see, especially in Alberta, is a government (starting with the Premier) that demonstrates respect for educators and an acknowledgement of the demand that has been put on them especially these last two years. This respect and acknowledgement that are owed are not simply words of appreciation, but rather can only be demonstrated by actions. Unfortunately, so many of this government’s actions made to date have created a massive chasm that I’m not sure can be bridged under the current leadership but that cannot stop any attempt to move forward.

One action that would go a long way to demonstrating respect for educators is to bring teachers into the fold of curriculum development. It was a partial holiday present when the Minister of Education put a delay on the archaic social studies curriculum. Even if I assume that the remainder of the new curriculum coming out this September is “good” there is far too much baggage to have a successful implementation. A pause to allow teachers back into the development of new curriculum is all that is required. We are not starting brand new as previous governments (NDP & PC) have both provided excellent blueprints on the what and how of curriculum. This is not about ideology but rather starts to de-politicize education which is very much needed. Great curriculum needs educators’ involvement from the very start.

The quote above is a reminder to governments (and maybe even the general public) that feeling appreciated can make such a difference. With the immense pressure being experienced in the education sector and the additional pressures put on schools and systems during this pandemic, governments need to find ways to build stronger relationships, develop more collaborative processes and ultimately demonstrate through actions, an appreciation for the work being done.